Couch-bed.



Patented May 27, I902.

3 Sheets-$heet 1..

(No Model.)

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No. 700,853. Patented May 27, I902.

D. G. STORE.

COUCH BED.

(Application filed Feb. 10, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

'DAVID C. STORR, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

COUCH-BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,853, dated May 27, 1902.

7 Application filed February 10, 1900. Serial No. 4,744. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID C. STORE, of New York, in the county of New York and State,

of New York, have invented-certain new and. useful Improvementsin Couch-Beds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to couch-beds of the type having a main frame and one or more side frames adapted to be raised to hori-. zontal position to convert the 'couch intoabed or to be dropped to vertical position to convert the bed into a couch. Such couch-beds are generally constructed with cast-metal endstandards which support a metallic folding frame, so that they have not only been very heavy and cumbersome, but have been more. or less costly in construction.

The object of the present invention is pri-' marily to provide an improved bed of the type referred to which shall be light and capable of being easily moved from one place to ananother and which shall, furthermore, be simple and cheap in construction and unlikely to get out of order. I accomplish this, in a large measure, by'discarding the cast-metal end standard and constructing the same of angleiron suitably bent into shape and braced to withstand the strains to which itmay be exposed. The top cross-bar of each endstandard is utilized to receive and support the ends of the wire mattress or fabric which is stretched between them, the end bars of the side frames being secured by pivots to the ends of said cross-bars.- 7

Referring once again to earlier constructions, it has been the practice to provide mechanism to raise and lower the side frames simultaneously; but this has been disadvantageous in many cases, since it is frequently desired to allow one of them to hang vertically, while the other is raised to horizontal position.

Another object of the invention is, therefore, to provide the side frames with independent elevating and latching mechanism, whereby one can be raised and lowered independently of the other.

To these ends the invention consists of an interconvertible bed or couch possessing certain features of construction and relative arrangement of parts, as illustrated upon the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification, and particularly specifled in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, on which similar reference-numerals indicate similar parts or features, as the case maybe,wherever they occur, Figure 1 represents in plan view a couch-bed embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 represents in perspective view the end of the bedwith the side frames dropped. Fig. 4 represents the bed in end elevation with the side frames raised. Fig. 5 represents a similar view of the bed with the side frames dropped to vertical position. Fig. 6 represents in perspective View the mechanism for elevating the said side frames.

On the said drawings, 7 8 represent the end standards, which support the main and side frames. Each standard is constructed of an L-shaped angle-iron, which is bent to provide 7 upright legs 9 9, which flare at their lower ends.

and are connected by a horizontal brace or cross-bar 10, to the lower fiat web of which the usual casters are connected. To permit the bending of the angle-iron, the inwardly-extending web is out, as at 11, to allow the other web to be bent, a triangular piece being taken out at the out.

The construction described aifords not only a strong and economical end standard, but also a more convenient, durable, and economical means for the attachment of the usual casters thanwhere said casters are attached to the lower ends of vertical legs. Furthermore, if no casters are employed, or if they are detached, the cross-brace rests directly on the floor or carpet, resulting in no such injury to or marring of the latter as would be caused by the lower ends of vertical legs.

The legs 9 9 are connected at points below their upper ends by a horizontal cross-brace 12 of fiat metal, so that the legs are stifiened and made rigid. The two end standards are similar, except that one of them is provided with three vertical bars 13 14 15, rigidly secured at their ends to the cross-braces 10 and 12 and separated far enough to provide slots 16 17 for the depressible devices by means of which the side frames, are raised, as will be subsequently described. To the upper ends of the legs 9 9 are secured the end bars 18 18 of the main frame, said ehdbars projecting laterally some little distance beyond the said legs. These end bars are constructed of angle-iron, with one web projecting downwardly and the other projecting toward the middle portion of the bed, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. Through the vertical webs are passed bolts 19 19, which secure the bars ofthe legs 9 9 of the end standard. The horizontal webs of the end bars are provided with a plurality of equally-spaced holes 20 to receive the springs 21 21, which support the wire mattress or fabric 22, which is stretched between them. 'The two end standards are connected together by longitudinal side bars 23, which are downwardly inclined between their ends, as shown in Fig. 2, to leave considerable space between them and the wire spring or fabric 22. These longitudinal side bars are likewise constructed of angle-iron and at their ends are bolted to the end standards between the cross-bars 12 and the end bars 18. Downwardly-inclined braces 24 24 are bolted to the vertical Webs of the side bars 23 and also to the webs of the legs 9 of the end standards, and there are additional braces 25, which connect the longitudinal side bars with the middle portion of the end bars 18 18. In this way the top and bottom portions of the end standards are rigidly connected to the longitudinal side bars, in addition to the said side bars being connected directly to the said end bars, whereby the said standards are braced rigidly and are unable to yield in any direction. A main frame thus consisting of the side bars, the end standards, the end bars, and the braces is very strong and can be packed and transported from place to place without danger of being bent or injured.

The side frames, which are adapted to be raised and lowered, comprise end bars 26, formed'of angle-iron and having their vertical webs pivoted to the vertical webs of the end bars 18 by pivots 27. The horizontal webs are [cut away sufficiently to provide rule-joints between the end bars 26 and 18, as best shown in Fig. 6, said horizontal webs being likewise provided with a plurality of horizontally-shaped apertures to receive the springs 21, previously referred to, whereby when the said side frames are raised the wire mattress or fabric is continuous from one edge of the bed to the other. To the vertical webs at the ends of the end bars 26 are bolted depending hangers 29, having cylindrical socketsto receive tubular side bars 30, said side bars being thus disposed considerably below the wire mattress or fabric, so that the person will notcome in contact therewith when sitting upon the edge of the bed.

For supporting the side frames when they are raised from vertical to horizontal position I employ mechanism consisting of combined levers and latches adapted to engage said levers simultaneously at both ends of the bed, there being independent latching mechanism for each of the side frames. The said subsequently described.

lever mechanism for each of the side frames comprises a lever 31, fulcrumed at 32 to the cross-bar 12 and having its end connected by a link 33 with the outer portion of the end bar26. At one end of the bed the said lever 31 is extended, as at 34, for a purpose to be The construction and arrangement of the two parts 31 and 33 are such that when the side frames are raised the levers 31 lie parallel to the cross-bars 12, as shown in Fig. 4, and hence to maintain them in that position I employ four latches 35 35, two at each end of the bed and two for each side frame. These latches are fulcrumed at 36 to a suitable portion of the main frame, and the two at each side of the bed are connected by wires or rods 37, which connect the upper end of one latch with the lower end of the other. Each latch'is provided with a socket 38 to receive the lever 31 and with a tapering lower end to be engaged by said lever as it rises and 'forced outward until it is in alinement with the socket 38. The latches adjacent the standard 8 are connected by eX- pansion springs 39 with the braces 25, as shown in Fig. 3, said springs being sufficient to hold the latches at the other end normally in operative position through the wires or rods 37, while the latches adjacent the standard '7 are provided with handles or pulls 40, which can be grasped by the hand. In this construction it will be seen that when one of the side frames is raised to horizontal position the levers 31-31 at its ends will be engaged simultaneously by the latches 35 35 and held in its raised position and that upon suitablyoperatin g the handle or pull 40 the two latches will be simultaneously disengaged from the lever 31. To assist the frame to drop quickly and also to hold the same in vertical position, springs 41 41 are employed, as shown in Fig. 6. To raise the said frames, I employ depressible foot devices which slide in the slots 16 17, formed by the vertical bars 13, 14, and 15, previously referred to. I Said depressible foot devices consist of treadles 42 42, which are connected by links 43 43 with the extensions 34 34 of the levers 31 31, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. By depressing said treadles the levers 31 34 are thrown about their fulcrums and the side frames are raised. For assisting in guiding the treadles 42 42 they are secured to the end of the levers 44 44, which at their other ends are pivoted to independent pivot-rods 45 45. The pivots for said rods project laterally from the downwardly-bent ends and inwardly-projecting braces 46, supported by the longitudinal side bars 23.

It will be understood that I am not limited to the details of construction and arrangement which I have seen fit to illustrate and describe and that this invention may be'expressed in various forms, if desired.

The provision of the independent latches for the two side frames enables said frames to be raised and lowered independently of each other, this being a great convenience in rooms where there is lack of spaceas, for instance, in apartment-houses or flats.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, although without having attempted to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use, I declare that what I claim is- 1. A couch-bed comprising a main frame and end standards each having legs bent outwardly at their lower ends and connected by a cross-brace, said legs and brace of each standard being formed from a single strip of angle-iron, presenting a fiat horizontal web connecting the lower ends of the legs.

2. A couch-bed comprising end standards each formed of angle-iron bent to constitute two legs and a lower cross-brace presenting a flat horizontal web connecting the lower ends of the legs, an end bar across and connecting the upper ends of said legs of each standard, longitudinal side bars connecting said standards, braces connecting said side bars with the lower portions of said end standards and braces connecting said side bars with the said end bars.

3. A couch-bed consisting of angle-iron end bars; an end standard for each end bar, each standard consisting of a lower angle iron cross-bar bent to form legs which curve inward and upward and are secured at their ends to the said cross-bar, said cross-bar presenting a fiat horizontal web connecting the lower ends of the legs, side bars connecting the legs of the standards, and a spring mattress or fabric secured directly to and.

stretched between the said end bars.

4. A couch-bed consisting of a main frame comprising angle-iron end bars, angle-iron legs bolted directly to said end bars and suitably braced together by a lower cross-bar integral therewith, and having afiat horizontal web, and side bars connecting the said legs; a side frame consisting of end bars pivoted to the ends of the first-mentioned side bars, and a side bar connecting the outer ends of the pivoted end bars; a spring mattress or fabric stretched between and connected directly to the end bars of the main and the side frames; and mechanism for supporting said side frame when raised to horizontal position.

5. A couch-bed comprising a main frame, swinging side frames, depressible foot devices for raising said side frames independently of each other, means 1 for holding said side frames raised, and independent mechan ism for permitting the lowering of said side frames, independently of each other, the said foot devices being adjacent to each other and movable in parallel planes, whereby they may be simultaneously operatedwhen desired.

6. A couch-bed comprising a main frame, swinging side frames, depressible foot devices for raising said side frames independently of each other, the said foot devices being adja* cent to each other and movable in parallel planes, whereby they may be simultaneously operated when desired, and independent latch mechanism for said side frames, whereby one side frame may be dropped independently of the other.

7. A couch-bed comprising a main frame, a swinging side frame, lever mechanism at each end of the bed for supporting the side frame when elevated, pivoted latches at the ends of the bed for engaging said lever mech= anism, said latches each having a tapering depending end portion and a socket, said sockets being oppositely disposed, and means connecting the upper end of one latch with the lower end of the other, whereby they may be simultaneously. operated.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, DAVID C. STORR.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH E. DAVIS, HARRY DAVIDSON. 

